"Perfume from Goat Fur" - An Innovation to Increase Value from Goat Products

     Goat fur is usually discarded after the animal is processed for food. The typical way to dispose of this fur is by incineration, causing environmental issues. Consequently, the Expert Centre of Innovative Herbal Products, under the Thailand Institute of Scientific and Technological Research, has initiated a project to research and develop bioactive substances to increase the value of goat-derived products. Specifically, this entails extracting fragrance and studying Male Pheromones from leftover goat fur. This innovative extraction process has led to the development of a new product, "Perfume from Goat Fur," a first-of-its-kind achievement in Thailand, set to benefit the perfume and cosmetics industries in the future. The successfully developed perfume product, under the brand "HIRCUS," has a distinctive, unique, and hard-to-imitate scent.

     The success of developing perfume from goat fur results from fieldwork conducted in Krabi Province by the Thailand Institute of Scientific and Technological Research. The issue of waste goat fur was identified through community needs. The goat fur was sourced from three goat breeds - Shami, Saanen, and Boer, with Boer being primarily used due to its stronger and longer-lasting scent. The development process required 100 grams of goat fur to extract 0.5 milligrams of substance, sufficient to produce 3 bottles of perfume.

     Furthermore, the research and development of extracting substances from goat fur found that it had a pleasant aroma, suitable for developing into perfume due to high fatty acids and antioxidants. About 9 scents can be developed, including 7 for women and 2 for men.

     There are plans to utilize the remaining products, such as leftover goat fur after extraction or clean goat fur. These might be processed into high-value products like goat fur makeup brushes, which are quite expensive overseas. Another possibility is leveraging encapsulation technology for cosmetics production.

     The products developed from this research project can be utilized locally as part of promoting tourism in the Krabi community. They could potentially be used in local hotels and various businesses.

Source: Thailand Institute of Scientific and Technological Research

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